The Changing Tide
by teddylupin-snape
Summary: Harry and Ginny are on holiday and there is not going to be any talk of work. Absolutely not. / Adult Hinny, Auror/Professor!Harry


"It's bizarre, isn't it?" Ginny said, glancing across the beach at the various spots where her kids and their friends were swimming. "They're so grown up now." She watched as Albus raced Scorpius out to the waves, falling beneath the water and splashing for a moment, only to resurface again and pull Scorpius in for a kiss. Ginny looked away, back at Harry. He was sitting on the beach towel next to him, reading a long sheet of parchment, his brows furrowed. "Harry?"

"Hmm?" He looked up, blinking. "Sorry."

Ginny sighed, rolling her eyes as she turned back to watch the ocean roll in. "I know you've got your career and it's very important and all that, but we're on vacation. James'll be starting his last year at Hogwarts in a couple of months. I'm sitting next to you in a bathing suit. It's family time." She held out a hand for the parchment, giving him such a Mrs. Weasley-ish look that it was a wonder Harry didn't sink right into the sand.

He reached up under his glasses, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Sorry," he repeated. "I've got to get this report done by tomorrow. Then I'm free from all of the Auror business for the rest of the trip." Ginny just raised an eyebrow at him. He leaned in, kissing her. It was brief, but he allowed himself to melt into her touch for the second it lasted. "Promise."

Shrugging, Ginny said, "I'll believe it when I see it." Harry took a deep breath, resuming his reading. Ginny laid back, resting her head in his lap beneath the scroll of parchment and stealing glances up at him as often as she could. The sun was directly overhead, and it was bright. Hot.

"I love this time of year—" Ginny started, the summer heat making her feel content and blissful.

At the same time as she said that, Harry said, "Speaking of my job…"

Ginny leaned her head back, twisting in his lap to make eye contact with Harry, whose eyes were focused anywhere but on her own.

"I—erm. I've really been needing a change. Y'know, doing something else, something _different_. I feel like I've been doing this my whole life—hunting Death Eaters and fighting evil, or whatever." He sighed. "McGonagall's always asked me to—to teach Defense." Harry paused for a moment, looking down at his wife's face, trying to gauge her response. She was impassive. Of course.

"Look, I just. I'm obviously not going to make a decision right away. We need to talk this over and figure it all out, I just… Well, I've never really considered it before. But I think the change of pace could be really nice and now the kids are growing up and you're settled in with the _Prophet_. Plus, it'd give me summers free to do more traveling – we could have trips like this every year." He took a breath, slowing down and realizing just how quickly he'd been talking.

Ginny took a moment, thinking it over, biting her lower lip as she did so. "You really want to do this? To teach?" Harry nodded, putting on more confidence than he felt. Ginny nodded, too. "Alright then, that's settled. You take the job. If it's anything like teaching the DA, it'll be great for you." She reached up, kissing him. Still very close, she whispered, "Will I only see you on weekends, then? School holidays?"

"I'm sure we can work something out with McGonagall." He kissed her again. "We've handled long-distance before, we could do it again. But I'd rather not. If I'd be away from you for too long, I won't take the job." She looked into his eyes, their brown holding so many layers of warmth. "And McGonagall knows that. She'll make it work."

Harry sighed as Ginny fell back into his lap. He looked back at the roll of parchment that he'd abandoned at his side. "Which means I really should finish this report if it'll also be brought in with my resignation." He glanced out across the beach, watching Lily and Hugo as they build their sandcastle right by the tide-line. "Only problem now is how to tell the kids."

"I'm sure you'll figure something out," Ginny said, closing her eyes before adding, " _Professor_."

 **.**

 **A/N: Written for: Advent Calendar Day 1: Vacation!AU; Writing Club – Disney Challenge 12: Write about someone who doesn't want things to change; Showtime 28: (plot point) job offer; Count Your Buttons D2: "I love this time of year," C5: Albus Severus Potter; Lyric Alley 13: You've got your career; Liza's Loves 8: Write about traveling; Fortnightly – Winter Bucket List 1: (word) bright; Seasonal – Autumn Prompts: (theme) change; Elemental (word) Bliss; Audrey's Dessert Challenge: Ginny Weasley; Ravenclaw Challenge: (trait) Accepting; Writing Month and Dragons: wc 722**


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